Direction: Atonement in the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith
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— pp. 18–33
Atonement in the
Mennonite Brethren
Confession of Faith
Doug Heidebrecht
Recent debate about the atonement among Mennonite Brethren
Spring 2012
Vol. 41 No. 1
in Canada and the United States has prompted further conversation
at both the national and provincial levels. The primary question a
theology of atonement seeks to answer is, how does God actually
pp. 18–33
save humanity through Jesus’ death and resurrection? In other
words, what is the means by which God saves? In the midst of this
Article subjects
debate, Mennonite Brethren have looked to their Confession of
Faith for clarity regarding their convictions about the atonement. In
this paper, I will survey how the atonement has been portrayed in
each of the confessions affirmed by Mennonite Brethren over the
last 150 years. I will begin by reflecting on how Mennonite Brethren
approach their Confession of Faith and then examine how the
atonement is depicted, first in the three earlier confessions and
finally in the two confessions currently affirmed by Mennonite
Brethren.
I am intrigued at how Mennonite Brethren have
consistently used biblical atonement images
without feeling the need to appeal to a particular
atonement model as an explanation.
APPROACHING THE CONFESSION OF FAITH
Mennonite Brethren are biblicists. At the heart of Mennonite
Brethren identity is an acknowledgment of the Scriptures as the
authority in all matters of faith and life. It is critical to recognize
how this conviction has permeated a Mennonite Brethren approach
to their Confession of Faith. When faced with a question or issue in
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the church, Mennonite Brethren insist it must be answered from
the Bible—“What does the Word say?
They assume that a careful
study of the Scriptures will persuade all of the truth.
Consequently, Mennonite Brethren have not been concerned
with creating a systematic doctrinal framework that could make
sense of the content of faith. The Bible itself is their guide, not a set
of doctrines derived from the Bible. The truthfulness of Scripture is
supported by the evidence of new life and a walk of discipleship,
not by a memorized faith. As a result of this profound biblicism,
Mennonite Brethren have relied on an implicit theology that has
not always been articulated in formal statements.
Nevertheless, J. B. Toews acknowledged, “an implicit faith
can be sufficient for a church movement as long as it exists in the
context of a homogeneous culture with a prescribed lifestyle that
expresses the movement’s understanding of faith and practice.”
The cultural isolation of Mennonite Brethren in Russia did not
force them to delineate their theological commitments. It took forty
years before Mennonite Brethren felt compelled to write their first
Confession of Faith, in part because their intention had not been to
propagate a new teaching, but to live out what Mennonites already
said they believed. Yet the experiences of migration, acculturation,
and mission have challenged the capability of an implicit faith to
provide adequate theological boundaries for Mennonite Brethren.
Even though Mennonite Brethren have not developed a precise
systematic theology, the ongoing need to articulate an
understanding of their faith in changing contexts has pushed them
to define more clearly how they read the Scriptures.
The Confession of Faith is one attempt to articulate what
Mennonite Brethren believe the Bible teaches It is descriptive, not
in the sense of what Mennonite Brethren typically believe, but
descriptive of what they believe the Bible teaches. This is an
important distinction to make. The Confession represents a
corporate Mennonite Brethren understanding of the message and
intent of the Scriptures. As a description of what the Bible teaches,
the Confession points beyond itself to the Bible. While final
authority always rests in the Scriptures, the Confession “is
authoritative to the extent that it is biblical.”
Since the Confession is descriptive of what the Bible says, it is
not a closed statement of faith, but open to periodic review and
revision Mennonite Brethren are open to new light from God’s
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Spirit because they recognize that their understanding of Scripture
is always limited and new issues continue to emerge that need to be
addressed. But the Confession can be changed or modified only
when the larger Conference comes to a new understanding of an
article through the study of the Scriptures together. Mennonite
Brethren “practice a corporate hermeneutic, which listens to the
concerns of individuals and churches, but discerns together the
meaning of the Scriptures.” This process is intended to protect the
denomination from the extremes of individualism and private
interpretations, while at the same time allowing for free study and
discussion The Confession is the end result of a consensual
process involving all Mennonite Brethren congregations.
The Confession of Faith is also understood as normative for
Mennonite Brethren churches because it summarizes what they
believe the Bible teaches. Thus, the Confession is binding for all
churches. Pastors, teachers, and conference leaders are expected to
affirm and teach the Confession of Faith
The idea of something
being normative highlights concerns regarding what reflects a
faithful reading of Scripture
All confessional statements in any
denomination are considered normative because each particular
confession expresses a “community of faith’s understanding about
what constitutes faithfulness to the gospel.”
Since it stands as a
witness over against other understandings, the Confession of Faith
functions as an interpretive guide regarding what it means to be
Mennonite Brethren
“To disagree with the Confession is to
declare that one does not understand the Bible as Mennonite
Brethren do.”
Furthermore, the Confession is intended to serve
as an active manual of discipleship, expressing shared Mennonite
Brethren convictions that have the power to shape their life
together.
THE ATONEMENT IN THE EARLY MENNONITE
BRETHREN CONFESSIONS
1. Rudnerweide Mennonite Confession of Faith
(1660/1853)
When Mennonite Brethren began in 1860, they insisted they
were in complete agreement with the existing Mennonite
Confession of Faith. Their concern as a revival movement was not
with the Mennonite faith statement, but with how people lived out
their faith in daily life. The Mennonite Confession in effect at this
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time was first published by the West Prussian churches in 1660 in
German and eventually went through seven printings over 250
years
The sixth edition of this Confession was published in
Odessa, South Russia, in 1853 and was the version the early
Mennonite Brethren considered as their own Confession
This
Confession clearly stood in the Dutch Anabaptist-Mennonite
tradition and was the basis for clarifying Mennonite Brethren belief
for the first forty years of the movement
There are no separate statements in this Mennonite
Confession on redemption, the fall, conversion, or even Scripture
for that matter. However, the article, “Concerning Christ the Son of
God,” relates the narrative of Jesus, who is identified as “our Lord
and Savior, Redeemer and Giver of Salvation.” The atonement is
described in three ways, which provide an integrated portrayal of
the significance of the incarnation, Jesus’ death, and his
resurrection. First, Jesus was sent into the world in order to fulfill
God’s plan to redeem humanity from “the eternal curse.” While
there is no explanation regarding what this curse involved, the
whole purpose of the incarnation was to free humanity from its
effects. Second, Jesus “was crucified, died, and was buried for our
sins.” Jesus’ death is clearly understood to be substitutionary, on
behalf of humanity. Third, Jesus’ resurrection is “for our
justification.” Justification is a result of Jesus being raised from the
dead. Finally, in the article “Concerning the Church of God,” the
church is confessed to be redeemed and washed of her sins through
Jesus’ blood. Jesus’ death is able to cleanse humanity of sin.
While the atonement is linked to the entire narrative of Jesus’
life on earth, not just his death, the blood of Jesus is clearly seen as
the means for redeeming and cleansing humanity from sin. The
Confession makes no attempt to go beyond the repetition of biblical
language in its explanation of salvation. Three atonement images
are used—redemption, justification, and sacrifice—without any
explanation as to how they actually bring about salvation.
2. Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith (1902)
In 1898, the same year in which the larger Mennonite group
in Russia published a new confession, Mennonite Brethren
appointed a study commission to revise the earlier 1853 Mennonite
Confession. However, all revision attempts were futile and so an
entirely new confession was written in 1900, presented to churches
for ratification, and eventually printed in 1902
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of biblical references used in this new Mennonite Brethren
Confession—117 from the Old Testament and 696 from the New
Testament—highlight the biblical orientation of the writers. The
words and phrases of the earlier 1853 Confession were followed in
fifteen of the twenty-five major topics discussed, while nine articles
cover topics reflecting later Pietistic and Baptist influences
The
1902 Confession represents an intentional doctrinal positioning
consistent with the Anabaptist and Mennonite roots of the
Mennonite Brethren.
The first article, “Concerning God,” closely follows the 1853
Confession, including the narrative description of the incarnation,
death, and resurrection of Jesus. Again, the atonement is linked
with all three aspects of the narrative: Jesus was sent into the world
to redeem humanity from the curse; Jesus was crucified, died, and
was buried for humanity’s sins; and he was raised from the dead for
humanity’s justification.
However, a separate article—“Concerning Sin and
Redemption”—was now included. This particular statement
regarding the atonement was borrowed from the German Baptist
Confession of Faith. Already in 1873, the German Baptist
Confession had been adopted by the Einlage Mennonite Brethren
congregation in Russia, who had a long relationship with the
Baptists, in an attempt to address ongoing concerns about
Mennonite Brethren identity. This Baptist Confession had been
written in 1837 by Johann Oncken, the Baptist leader in Hamburg,
three years after he founded the German Baptist revival
movement
The Einlage congregation added a “peculiarly
Anabaptist-Mennonite” perspective to the Baptist Confession by
including sections on believer’s baptism, the Lord’s Supper, church
discipline, foot washing, the role of government, and the use of the
oath
However, there was considerable dissatisfaction by
Mennonite Brethren leaders regarding the adequacy of this revised
Baptist Confession, and it was never formally adopted by any other
Mennonite Brethren congregation
In the new article on redemption, taken directly from this
Baptist Confession, the meaning of the earlier reference to being
redeemed from the eternal curse is now spelled out in more detail.
Humanity is redeemed or freed from the curse of eternal death, the
wages of sin, and the wrath of God. This redemption takes place
“only through the one eternal and sufficient redeeming and atoning
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sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God” (par. 11)
The
substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death is clearly described as a
sacrifice, made even more explicit by the reference to Jesus as the
Lamb of God. This sacrifice is characterized by two pairs of
adjectives. The first two—“eternal” and “sufficient”—highlight the
capacity of Jesus’ death for salvation; while the second
two—“redeeming” and “atoning”—refer to the effect of his sacrifice.
There is no further explanation regarding how the sacrifice of Jesus
actually redeems or atones humanity. A third atonement image,
justification, is also used (par. 16).
The 1902 Confession spends considerable space reflecting on
conversion and sanctification, both key aspects in the Mennonite
Brethren emphasis on discipleship. Here the result of redemption
is evidenced through the new birth of conversion and renewal of
life through sanctification. The redeeming blood of Christ is
explicitly at work in both (par. 26). This new section now ties in
with the article on the church (Article 3), which paralleled the
earlier 1853 Confession’s emphasis on the blood of Jesus redeeming
the church and washing her from sin.
The 1902 Confession took a significant step toward greater
clarity about the atonement through the incorporation of this part
of the German Baptist Confession. Yet the language continues to
reflect biblical categories with no explicit reference to a theological
explanation of atonement. Three atonement images are again used:
redemption, justification, and sacrifice.
Mennonite Brethren would use the 1902 Confession for
almost seventy-five years. A much-abbreviated summary was
eventually published in 1963 as part of the Mennonite Brethren
Constitution
This summary highlighted how Jesus died for
humanity’s sins (as a substitute), bringing about forgiveness
through his blood for all who repent and believe. The double
reference to Jesus’ blood emphasizes that this is the only means of
“atonement for our sins.”
3. Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith (1975)
In 1966, the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren
Churches approved a recommendation to revise the 1902
Confession of Faith. The primary motivation underlying this
revision was the desire to use contemporary language, which would
be more readable and understandable for youth
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draft was initially completed in 1969, it was only in 1975 that the
seventh draft was finally accepted by General Conference delegates.
The 1975 Confession was shortened considerably—down to 2450
words from 6500—and biblical references were reduced to 19 from
the Old Testament and to 118 from the New Testament and moved
from the text itself into footnotes.
Like the first two Mennonite Brethren confessions, the
atonement first appears in the article about God. Here the image of
God the Father adopting as his children all who repent of their sin
and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord is introduced (10).
Jesus is sent by the Father to reconcile humanity to himself and to
redeem people from sin and eternal death (10). The atonement
image of reconciliation appears for the first time. Still following the
1853 narrative of Jesus’ incarnation, the 1975 Confession highlights
how God’s redemptive purpose was accomplished in Jesus’
crucifixion and death for sin. Justification is again linked with
Jesus’ resurrection, just as it had been in the previous two
confessions (11). This is interesting given that while justification is
the primary penal atonement image linked with Jesus’ death, for
Mennonite Brethren justification has consistently been connected
to the resurrection. While Paul explicitly connects justification and
the resurrection in Romans 4:25, I suspect the meaning of this
connection remains largely untapped today
The article on Salvation (12–13) essentially repeats what had
already been stated in the article about God—the purpose of Jesus’
coming was to redeem humanity from the judgment and power of
sin and to reconcile people to God (12–13). The judgment of sin
parallels the consequence of eternal death, and sin is now
characterized by power, which requires a redeemer. The sacrificial
image of atonement is clearly central to the understanding of Jesus’
death—“Through the shedding of his blood, Christ provided the one
sufficient sacrifice for sin and established God’s New Covenant”
(13). This sacrifice is described as both singular and sufficient for
addressing sin. The New Covenant, as a relational aspect of
reconciliation, is also introduced as the result of Christ’s sacrificial
death (13).
Finally, the article on the Church of Christ (14–16) again
follows the previous two confessions by noting that the church itself
was established through God’s redemptive work. Now, alongside
being cleansed by his blood, the church is regenerated by faith in
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Christ, baptized by his Spirit into one body, and separated to God
(14). For Mennonite Brethren the atonement clearly has both an
individual and a corporate dimension.
It is fascinating to see how core dimensions of the atonement
have remained consistent over these first three Mennonite
Brethren confessions. Although the key atonement images have
consisted of redemption, justification, and sacrifice, the 1975
Confession introduced adoption and reconciliation as additional
complementary images. These images are employed without any
theological explanation or reference to an atonement model, in part
because they stand on their own as biblical categories.
What provides additional insight regarding the atonement in
the 1975 Confession are a series of articles published in 1977 by the
Board of Reference and Counsel in the Mennonite Brethren Herald
and The Christian Leader, which were presented as an
amplification and explanation of the Confession. A.J. Klassen, who
was behind the development of the 1975 Confession, wrote an
explanation of the article “Salvation.
Klassen highlights four
traditional views of atonement: the ransom model, the penal
model, the demonstration of God’s unconditional love, and the
classic view of Jesus as a military conqueror. Klassen presents these
views of the atonement without commentary or preference. Clearly,
Mennonite Brethren were aware of the larger discussion of the
atonement at this time, but chose to express their own confessional
understanding in the language of the New Testament. Where
Klassen does betray a preference is in regard to the image of
reconciliation and God’s love for enemies, which he claims is “at the
very heart of the atonement” and discipleship
Reconciliation has
ethical implications for how Mennonite Brethren live their lives as
Christ’s disciples.
THE ATONEMENT IN THE CURRENT MENNONITE
BRETHREN CONFESSIONS
1. Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith (1999)
The impetus for a revised North American Confession of Faith
emerged as a result of a renewed call for confessional integrity
initiated in 1987 when the General Conference Board of Faith and
Life (BFL) proposed revising several of the confessional articles in
an attempt to develop greater consensus among Mennonite
Brethren
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The Board began with perhaps the most contentious
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issues, the articles on Peace and Nonresistance and the Lord’s
Supper. By 1990, the BFL recognized that this initial revision
should be an ongoing process
In 1993, it became apparent that
the entire 1975 Confession needed to be rewritten, which would
also entail the addition of several new articles to address pressing
questions now facing the church
The complete revision was
projected to take ten to twelve years; however, in the face of
growing questions about the continued existence of the General
Conference, BFL presented a final draft for ratification in 1999.
Despite the reduced timeline, BFL engaged in an extensive process
of community discernment, through which both churches and
individuals could propose revisions to the Confession. The
Commentary and Pastoral Application sections of the Confession
supplemented the confessional statements by discussing the biblical
background to each article and reflecting on practical implications
for the life of the church.
Not surprisingly, in this revised Confession the first encounter
with the atonement appears in the article, “God.” God the Father
adopts all who respond in faith to the gospel, forgiving their sin,
and entering into a new covenant with them (7). In the narrative
concerning God the Son, “Jesus took on human nature” with the
purpose of redeeming “this fallen world” (7). Through his death
and resurrection, Christ “triumphed over sin” and was exalted as
Lord of creation and the church. As the Savior of the world he
invites all to be reconciled to God, calling them to follow him in the
way of the cross (7).
The 1999 Confession remains consistent with the previous
confessions by seeing the atonement as an integral aspect of the
incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus. However, several
shifts occurred regarding how the atonement is depicted in this first
article. Rather than referring to Jesus dying for humanity’s sin, it
now declares that “Christ triumphed over sin” (7). The shift is from
a simple substitutionary statement to a mere mention of a
particular atonement model—Christ-as-Victor (i.e., Christus
Victor). The atonement image of justification that was previously
linked to the resurrection is no longer included. In the commentary
on this article (12–13), two primary metaphors are highlighted to
describe Jesus as Savior: sacrificial atonement and liberation
through his obedient fulfillment of the law of God. These two
metaphors don’t encapsulate the richness of the major New
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Testament atonement images, and neither do they adequately
explain what is meant by Christ triumphing over sin through his
death and resurrection.
The third article, “Creation and Humanity” (35), points out
how Christ’s work of redemption has cosmic implications because
through the initiation of a new creation all things are being
reconciled in Christ and created anew. The Commentary states that
Christ’s death on the cross entails reconciliation with God, with
humanity, and with creation (39). The results of God’s redemption
are not just for a future time, but are already visible in the present
era.
Article 4 on “Sin and Evil” (45) has implications for the
description of salvation in the following article on “Salvation.” Two
important observations should be noted. First, the consequences of
sin are immense, resulting in both physical and spiritual death—
defined as eternal separation from God. God will judge sin. Second,
sin is defined primarily as a power that enslaves humanity. Sin is
not just what people do but also describes what controls human
behavior. Humans are unable to overcome its power on their own.
This recognition will clearly inform how the solution to the problem
of sin will be perceived and likely lies behind the portrayal of Christ
triumphing over sin in Article 1.
The “Salvation” article (55) is divided into three sections:
God’s initiative, God’s plan, and humanity’s response. Salvation is
only possible because of God’s love and grace expressed in his
initiative to accomplish deliverance, healing, redemption, and
restoration. Salvation is holistic. The emphasis on God’s love for
humanity is significant, particularly in light of some evangelicals
promoting the bewildering idea that God hates sinners. “God’s love
is fully demonstrated in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ” (55). Here is also the recognition that God’s saving action
through Jesus involves his life, death, and resurrection.
The Commentary declares that while God saves from both
physical dangers and spiritual dangers, such as God’s wrath, Satan,
and demonic oppression, the most common use of salvation in the
New Testament has to do with sin (56). God saves his people from
the penalty, power, and practice of sin. The Commentary’s language
clearly reflects affirmation for the penal model of atonement
without being explicit regarding how people are saved.
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In the second section of the article, “God’s Plan” (55), God’s
work of salvation through Jesus is recognized as an outworking of
his earlier deliverance of his people from bondage and the
establishment of a covenant relationship. The key atonement
statement is quite brief: “God reconciled the world to himself by the
atoning blood of Jesus.” Two atonement images are primary
—reconciliation and sacrifice—reflecting again the preference to
use biblical language when describing the atonement. The “blood of
Jesus” is shorthand for both the death and sacrifice of Jesus on the
cross. This gift of salvation involves God forgiving people,
delivering them from sin’s bondage, and sealing them for eternal
life when death and sin will finally be abolished. The Pastoral
Application defines atonement as “the term which represents God’s
accomplishment of salvation through Christ” (60).
In the final section of the Salvation article (55), Jesus broke
the domination of sin, and through his obedient life, his death on
the cross, and his resurrection he triumphed over Satan and the
powers of sin and death. Here is a fuller explanation of the cryptic
“triumphed over sin,” that appeared earlier. God’s salvation
involves freeing (synonymous with redeeming) people from sin in
order that they may live in newness of life.
Four models of atonement used by the church through the
centuries are briefly described in the Pastoral Application
discussion: the legal or penal substitution model, the moral
influence model, the example model, and the Christ-as-Victor
model (60–61). Cautions are raised about the example model
because it has historically been associated with those who have
denied the deity of Christ and may fail to appreciate the depth of
human sinfulness.
As the Pastoral Application correctly observes, “the model of
atonement one adopts tends to shape one’s understanding of
salvation and approach to Christian living” (61). As has been clear
throughout Mennonite Brethren history and also within the present
Confession, the tendency is to appeal to biblical language to
describe the atonement rather than to line up behind a particular
atonement model. The advice given is that “it is important to
balance such models with the whole counsel of Scripture” (61). No
one atonement model incorporates the rich diversity of atonement
images used in the New Testament. Rather, following the biblical
writers’ lead, Mennonite Brethren have sought to embrace multiple
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images in their description of the atonement.
This concern for balance is also behind the caution expressed
in the Pastoral Application of this article regarding how the penal
substitution model has sometimes been disconnected from the call
to discipleship. This caution recognizes that concerns about the
discrepancy between what one believes and how one lives is at the
very heart of Mennonite Brethren identity and, in fact, was the
impulse for the start of the movement. Just because one may have a
correct view of the atonement does not mean that he or she is
necessarily living as a faithful disciple of Jesus. The example of the
early Anabaptists’ use of a variety of models to describe their
understanding of the atonement is highlighted in the pastoral
application (61).
Finally, Article 17 (“Christianity and other Faiths”) clearly
affirms that “the saving grace of God in Jesus is the only means of
reconciling humanity with God. .. . Our task is to proclaim Christ as
the only way of salvation to all people in all cultures” (187).
Sometimes the discussion about the atonement, how God saves
through Jesus’ death and resurrection, becomes defined as though
it was about whether God saves through Jesus’ death and
resurrection. These are two very different issues. Mennonite
Brethren clearly confess that Jesus is the only way of salvation.
The Commentary on the “Salvation” article refers to four
objective atonement images: redemption, justification, adoption,
and reconciliation (58). These atonement images are recognized as
reflecting both individual and corporate implications of salvation.
Five atonement images actually appear in the 1999 Confession
itself. Redemption, adoption, and reconciliation are used in a
similar way to the 1975 Confession. The image of sacrifice, while
now including the adjective “atoning,” is not as explicit as it was in
earlier confessions regarding the substitutionary nature of Jesus’
sacrificial death. The new image introduced in the present
Confession is of Jesus’ triumphant victory over sin, death, and
Satan. In part, this image emerges in response to the understanding
of sin as a power, particularly as found in Paul’s letter to the
Romans. As already noted, the language of justification is absent
from this Confession.
2. ICOMB Confession of Faith (2004)
In 1997, the newly formed International Community of
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Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) asked the question, “What do MBs
around the world believe?”
A task force of ICOMB members from
Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and North America surveyed
existing confessional materials and considered the primary
This
questions Mennonite Brethren encounter around the world
task force completed a two-part confessional document in 2004
with the hope that it would assist national conferences formulating
confessions specific to their own cultures as well as define
Mennonite Brethren convictions for churches inquiring about
joining the Mennonite Brethren
The format of the first section of the ICOMB Confession
represents an Asian and African narrative approach to theology,
which seeks to address the question, “How does God work in the
world?” through the story of God’s creation, the fall, and God’s
re-creation. The second section answers the question, “How do
MBs respond to God’s purpose?” by describing five core Mennonite
Brethren values regarding the church
This international
Confession complements the current North American Confession of
Faith as a parallel statement representing a global Mennonite
Brethren perspective.
The atonement figures prominently in the first section of the
ICOMB Confession where it is again set within the narrative of
Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection as well as his
inauguration of the reign of God (124). On the cross, Jesus gained
victory over the “evil powers of Satan, sin and death” by dying for
the sins of the world (123). The substitutionary nature of Jesus’
death is clearly recognized in the image of triumphant victory.
Those who reject Christ “as the only way of salvation” will “face
eternal condemnation” (124, 127).
Reconciliation, a major theme integrated throughout this
Confession, is the second image used to describe the atonement.
“The mission of Jesus was to reconcile humans with God, each
other and the world” (127). Since “peace and reconciliation are at
the heart of the Christian gospel,” the church is also called to be
agents of reconciliation and participate in the mission of God by
making disciples and being peacemakers (127). Through the cross
Jesus will also reconcile creation to God (124).
The image of redemption is highlighted briefly in the
description of the Lord’s Supper where the church proclaims the
Lord’s death and “identifies with the life of Christ given for the
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redemption of humanity” (126). These three atonement images
—triumphant victory, reconciliation, and redemption—reflect some
of the similar concerns expressed in the 1999 North American
Confession, such as the need for the cross to address the effect of
the power of sin. However, the emphasis on reconciliation
throughout the ICOMB Confession highlights both a depth and
integration of an atonement image that is not evident in any of the
other Mennonite Brethren confessions. Reconciliation, as an
atonement image, clearly carries both ethical and missional
implications.
CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS
In conclusion, I would like to reflect on some of the
challenges that emerge from this survey of the atonement within
the various Mennonite Brethren confessions. I applaud the
recognition that the atonement must be grounded in the narrative
of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This is a consistent
Mennonite Brethren conviction that has spanned every confession
over the last 150 years. I have also appreciated the growing breadth
in the use of multiple New Testament atonement images within the
confessions. This usage affirms the multifaceted view of the
atonement that is expressed through the complementary images
found in Scripture. I am encouraged by the introduction of both
reconciliation and triumphant victory, both strong biblical images,
in the two current confessions. The relational dynamics of the
atonement and the recognition of the spiritual battle won at the
cross are critical dimensions of the gospel for this time.
However, I’ve also been surprised by some of what I have
discovered in my study of the various Mennonite Brethren
confessions. I have been troubled that the 1999 North American
Confession has dropped some of the atonement themes prominent
in earlier confessions. I recognize that during the revision process,
Mennonite Brethren were attempting to find “new language to
better communicate what we believe to a changing world,”
preferring words that communicated directly to the contemporary
context rather than “simply parroting scriptural phrases.”
But in
doing so, the rich traditional language of justification disappeared. I
am particularly intrigued that Mennonite Brethren consistently
connected justification—typically used to support a penal model of
atonement—with the resurrection of Jesus in the first three
Confessions (see Rom. 4:25). The meaning of this connection, I
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suspect, remains largely untapped.
I am also disappointed that the simple phrase, “Jesus died for
our sins,” is no longer included in the 1999 Confession. This
profound proclamation of the gospel clearly communicates the
substitutionary nature of Jesus’ death found across the various
atonement images in the New Testament. I believe Mennonite
Brethren should work at expressing with greater clarity the
substitutionary nature of Jesus’ sacrifice on behalf of humanity’s
sins.
I am intrigued at how Mennonite Brethren have consistently
used biblical atonement images without feeling the need to appeal
to a particular atonement model as an explanation. Only rarely
does a Mennonite Brethren confession use more philosophical
language (e.g., “sufficient”) to describe the meaning of the
atonement. It’s not that Mennonite Brethren have been unaware of
different atonement models, rather, as is consistent with their
tendency to rely on an implicit theology, Mennonite Brethren
assume that using biblical atonement images is adequate in itself.
Mennonite Brethren are left with the ongoing challenge of
how to assess their current Confessions of Faith in a world of
increasing theological diversity. As Lynn Jost reflected in the midst
of the 1999 confessional revision process,
A complete consensus about theological questions is no
more .. .All of us want this Confession to say exactly what
we as individuals believe. There is a sense, that if there
are concepts we would prefer to see stated differently,
perhaps we cannot endorse the Confession as a whole.
The revision process, however, is an implicit call to trust
the community of faith and to submit to the
hermeneutical community
The 1999 North American Confession may not be above critique,
but it must be treated with respect since it represents the careful
and prayerful reflection of Mennonite Brethren churches across the
U.S. and Canada.
The basis for ongoing assessment, of course, is the Word of
God, the authoritative guide for faith and practice. Yet the difficulty
Mennonite Brethren face is whether they are actually willing to
engage in significant Bible study together in a way that would
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enable them to understand the whole counsel of Scripture. In any
assessment of the Confession, their appeal must always go back to
the Bible—“What does the Word say?” However, by asking this
question they are also asking the Spirit to enlighten the eyes of their
hearts and to forge a unity amongst themselves based on a common
confession. This process always takes both time and relationship.
Mennonite Brethren must walk toward each other in an attempt to
understand the Scriptures—no matter what issue they are facing. I
am committed to walking together in love.
Finally, I recognize that at the heart of the atonement is
mission. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal
life” (John 3:16). Mennonite Brethren confessions are very clear
about this. Mennonite Brethren proclaim the love of God revealed
in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They proclaim Jesus as the
only way to God, which is good news for all people.
Mennonite Brethren in North America also now face the
challenge of listening to their brothers and sisters from around the
world as they reflect on their Confession of Faith. The 1999
Confession represents the convictions of American and Canadian
Mennonite Brethren, but it does not take into consideration Asian,
African, South American, or European perspectives. How is the
atonement understood and proclaimed within these different
cultural contexts? How do Mennonite Brethren interpret God’s
Word together, enriched by their various perspectives? Mennonite
Brethren in North America can no longer confess their faith in
isolation from the larger international Mennonite Brethren
community.
NOTES
1. This is a revised version of a presentation delivered at “Deep
Spirited Friends Study: The Cross of Christ,” a study day
sponsored by the B.C. Conference of Mennonite Brethren
Churches and held at Gracepoint Community Church in Surrey,
B.C., November 3, 2010.
2. For further reflections on Mennonite Brethren hermeneutics, see
Doug Heidebrecht, “People of the Book: The Significance of
Mennonite Brethren Biblicism and Hermeneutics,” Direction 40
(2011): 219–31.
3. A.J. Klassen, “The Bible in the Mennonite Brethren Church,”
Direction 2 (April 1973): 45.
4. J. B. Toews, A Pilgrimage of Faith: The Mennonite Brethren
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Church 1860–1990 (Winnipeg: Kindred, 1993), 180.
5. See Doug Heidebrecht, “Confessing Our Faith: The Significance
of the Confession of Faith in the Life of the Mennonite Brethren
Church,” in Renewing Identity and Mission: Mennonite Brethren
Reflections after 150 Years, ed. Abe J. Dueck, Bruce L.
Guenther, and Doug Heidebrecht (Winnipeg, MB: Kindred, 2011),
141–53.
6. “Resolution on Confession of Faith,” 1987 Yearbook, General
Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (Abbotsford,
August 7–11, 1987), 68.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid., 69.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. John E. Toews, “The Meaning of the Confession,” Mennonite
Brethren Herald, 28 October 1988, 7.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid. Yet there is also a level of flexibility in relation to the
Confession of Faith, which has not always been clearly
articulated. Mennonite Brethren recognize that struggles with
particular statements in the Confession may not be incompatible
with affirming the Confession in principle, so “a principled
confessional integrity, not a legalistic confessional rigidity” is lived
out in practice. See 1987 Yearbook, General Conference of
Mennonite Brethren Churches (Abbotsford, August 7–11, 1987),
72.
15. References to the Rudnerweide Confession will be to Peter J.
Klassen’s English translation, which can be found at the Global
Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, s.v. “Confession, or
Short and Simple Statement of Faith (Rudnerweide, Russia,
1853),”
and in Howard John Loewen, ed., One Lord, One Church, One
Hope, and One God: Mennonite Confessions of Faith in North
America (E khart, IN: Institute of Mennonite Studies, 1985),
115–28. For a more recent translation, see Karl Koop, ed. and tr.,
Confessions of Faith in the Anabaptist Tradition, 1527–1660
(Kitchener, ON: Pandora, 2006), 314–30.
16. Abram John Klassen, “Mennonite Brethren Confessions of Faith:
Historical Roots and Comparative Analysis” (S.T.M. Thesis,
Union College of British Columbia, 1965), 105. The full title of this
Mennonite confession reads: Confession oder Kurtze und
einfältige Glaubens-Bekenntniss derer so man nenne, Die
vereinigte Flämische/Friesische und Hochdeutsche
Tauffs=gesinnete, oder Mennonisten in Preussen.
17. Klassen, “Mennonite Brethren Confessions,” 106.
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18. Ibid., 109.
19. The English version of the 1902 Confession was published as
Confession of Faith of the Mennonite Brethren Church of North
America (Hillsboro, KS: Mennonite Brethren Pub. House, 1917).
In Howard John Loewen’s One Lord, it can be found on pp.
163–73. For an online version, see the Global Anabaptist
Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, s.v. “Confession of Faith
(Mennonite Brethren Church, 1902),”
20. Ibid. For an English translation of the Introduction to the 1902
Confession see, Abe J. Dueck, Moving Beyond Secession:
Defining Russian Mennonite Brethren Mission and Identity,
1872–1922 (Winnipeg, MB: Kindred, 1997), 108–11.
21. Klassen, “Mennonite Brethren Confessions,” 132.
22. Ibid., 106.
23. Ibid., 109.
24. Ibid., 107.
25. Paragraphs are numbered continuously throughout the
Confession.
26. Constitution of the General Conference of the Mennonite
Brethren Churches (Kansas: Mennonite Brethren Church
Conference, 1963), 16–19.
27. Ibid., 17(f).
28. Confession of Faith of the General Conference of Mennonite
Brethren Churches (Winnipeg, MB; Hillsboro, KS: Kindred, 1976).
Numbers in parentheses in this section refer to pages in this
publication. The 1975 Confession is also available online at the
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, s.v.
“Confession of Faith (Mennonite Brethren, 1975),”
29. Marvin Hein, “Introducing: A New Series on Our Confession of
Faith,” Mennonite Brethren Herald, 10 June 1977, 27. See also
A.J. Klassen, “Revising the Confession of Faith,” Mennonite
Brethren Herald, July 25, 1969, 2–3; and A.J. Klassen, “The
Process of Revision,” Mennonite Brethren Herald, 8 August
1969, 16.
30. For a helpful explanation of the connection between justification
and the resurrection, see the chapter, “Raised for Our
Justification,” in I. Howard Marshall, Aspects of the Atonement
(London: Paternoster, 2007), 68–97.
31. A.J. Klassen, “Salvation by Grace,” Mennonite Brethren Herald,
19 August 1977, 28–29.
32. Ibid., 29.
33. Confession of Faith: Commentary and Pastoral Application
(Winnipeg, MB; Hillsboro, KS: Kindred, 2000) includes the
confessional articles, a Commentary and Pastoral Application, as
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well as the liturgical, digest, and sidewalk versions of the
Confession. Page numbers in parentheses in the following
discussion refer to this publication. See also,
34. See “Vision Statement for General Conference,” 1987 Yearbook,
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
(Abbotsford, August 7–11, 1987), 59–64.
35. 1990 Yearbook, General Conference of Mennonite Brethren
Churches (Hillsboro, September 28–October 2, 1990), 12.
36. 1993 Yearbook, General Conference of Mennonite Brethren
Churches (Winnipeg, July 7–11, 1993), 14.
37. See Elmer A. Martens and Peter J. Klassen, eds., Knowing and
Living Your Faith: A Study of the Confession of Faith,
International Community of Mennonite Brethren (Winnipeg, MB:
Kindred, 2008). Numbers in parentheses in this section refer to
pages in this publication. See also
38. Ibid., 128.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid.
41. These include: People of the Bible, People of a New Way of Life,
People of Covenant Community, People of Reconciliation, and
People of Hope.
42. Lynn Jost, “Reflections on Confession of Faith Revision,”
Direction 27 (Spring 1998): 60.
43. Ibid., 61.
Doug Heidebrecht is currently working in an international setting.
Previously, he served as director of the Centre for Mennonite Brethren
Studies (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and for sixteen years as instructor in
biblical and theological studies at Bethany College in Hepburn,
Saskatchewan.
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